The document emphasizes the importance of employee health and wellness in enhancing productivity and reducing workplace health risks. It highlights the negative impacts of sedentary behavior and suggests multi-faceted strategies to encourage physical activity in the workplace. Additionally, it notes the economic implications of health issues, particularly in Jordan, and stresses the need for supportive policies and employee education to foster a healthier work environment.

1. Mawaheb Homsi

2. The employees are the productive people at the
society, the health and wellness of this segment
are very important issue to mention.
Healthy employment is essential factor for
achieving the objective of acceptable work
standard both by increasing the productivity
and sustainability of organizations.
This will affect the social life and economic
growth.

3. Two-thirds of Canadians over the age 15 are employed,
spending on average 60 per cent of their waking hours
at work" (Alberta Health & Wellness, 2004).
Lack of time is the number one barrier to participating
in physical activity” (Canadian Health Network, 2005).
Long periods of sitting increase the risk for obesity,
heart disease, neck, lower back problems and overall
mortality
Excessive sitting as a newly identified health risk,
suggest a multi-component approach that are resource
intensive and knowledge about their impact is limited.

4. Organizations that implement health promotion
strategies in the workplace can reduce their
workers’ health risk factors by up to 56%;
Productivity gains of up to 15% can be achieved
by upgrading the workplace environment.
The average worker is up to 7% less productive
because of their health risks.

5. 0%
100%
Diabetes HDL cholesterol LDL cholesterol Triglyceride Uric acid
POPULATION
25YEARSANDABOVE
DISEASEpatients non patients
patients non patients
46% 64%
66% 44%
80% 20%
51% 49%
20% 80%
Diabetes
HDL cholesterol
LDL cholesterol
Triglyceride
Uric acid

6. Doctors Heart Association Jordan
40 % of deaths in the Jordan caused by heart
disease, which is the main cause of deaths
locally.
90 % of the causes of atherosclerosis can be
prevented through proper food hygiene
practices and changing of lifestyle.

7. Jordan from the highest country in the region in
terms of high from heart disease and vascular
disease, diabetes and hypertension, and the
combination of fat and obesity, all of which are
dangerous, leading to heart disease, 'according
to the director of the National Registry in the
Ministry of Health.

8. The result from cardiovascular disease deaths
about 36 % of all deaths annually in the Jordan
noting that 34 % of these deaths occur before
the age of sixty.
70% of smokers in Jordan likely to under risk of
clots.

9. The cost direct treatment of heart disease and
its causes from 654 million dinars in 2004 to one
billion and two hundred million dinars in 2010.
Jordan spent on the four diseases, including
diabetes, 22 % of total budget revenues.

10. From previous researches four main concerns
should be considered:
1. How to create a healthy life style to avoid and
reduce the effect of sedentary behavior at
workplace.
2. How to boost employee energy.
3. Lack of time is the number one barrier to
participating in physical activity.
4. How to reduce: absenteeism, injuries, turnover,
disability compensation, health-care and life
insurance costs

11. Provides convenient physical activity solutions for
business workplace will Drive a culture of physical
activity that helps protect business investment — and
maximize the returns in cost savings, cost avoidance,
productivity and human capital.
Benefits of active living at work
1. Improved productivity and morale
2. Improved job satisfaction and team spirit
3. Reduced employee absenteeism and turnover

12. Physical activity will help employees’:
1. Feel more energetic, relax better, and cope
with stress
2. Feel better about themselves and boost their
mood
3. Improve the posture and balance
4. Strengthen the muscles and bones
5. Control their weight
6. Meet new people and connect with family and
friends.

13. Howshouldweincreaseopportunitiesforphysicalactivityand
reducesedentarybehaviorintheworkplace?
Create programs and challenges at work that will encourage
staff to be active
Get leadership support for employees to be active and have
their support demonstrated in policies, procedures and
practice (i.e.- flex time to exercise)
Put information about PA in a newsletter, hang information
around the building and create tag lines for people to put in
email
Have onsite facilities for exercise

14. Provide significant SWEAT FREE exercise videos for
workplace (one “bit” at a time productivity),long
meetings and workshops that can be done on desk,
chair, meeting rooms to :
1. BRIEF ON-CALL VIDEO EXERCISES
The online videos are available anytime at your workplace
chair and desk, they are easy to access from your laptop
or company net work
2. IMPROVES CONCENTRATION
The exercises increase the oxygen level to the body and
brain that improves the concentration in the daily work
tasks.

15. 3. COMBATS FATIQUE AND ENHANCES ALERTNESS
The exercises return your body muscles to proper balance
in a way to fight the fatigue and refresh mind.
4. ENERGIZES MIND AND BODY
The exercise enable you to move, stretch and strengthen
your muscles and joints to improve and motivate your
mind and body
5. SWEAT-FREE EXERCISES
Our five minutes exercises designed to get the benefits of
workout during the day at your workplace without
reaching the sweating point.

16. 6. ONE "BIT" AT A TIME PRODUCTIVITY
The workout movements are able to get the
maximum of your productivity and to break the
work rigidity.

17. Provide Activity Management indoor and
outdoor
1. Active Lunch or coffee exercise breaks
opportunities
2. Start an exercise or walking program.
3. Live exercise trainer.
4. Personalize training support.
5. Planning events that focus on physical activity
6. Establish a walking club for walking together.

18. 7. Design for exercise facilities if possible.
8. Create a subsidy to assist employees with
recreation or sports costs.
9. Train workers to lead active breaks.
10. Use email to post reminders for office workers.

19. Information and Education
Sharing information and resources with
employees to get them thinking about the
importance of physical activity.
Raising awareness increases employees’ level of
knowledge and interest.
• Newsletter inserts
• Email distributions
• Bulletin board notices
• Information booths
• Wellness talks.

20. Polices and procedures from HR
1. Implement the change and create the benefit
of the physical programs.
2. Assess opportunities for physical activity at
work with staff and identify ways to make
improvements.
3. Design the most suitable physical activity
program for the organization

21. Ergonomic Solutions
Implementing the principles of human factor
engineering to enhance employee performance,
prevent injuries, provide safety, and reduce
absenteeism and time waste. It generates Return
on Investment (ROI) and boost profitability.

23. When creating wellness programs top
management support is crucial .
What we need to do is to raise the
awareness of our employees’.
Polices and guideline can avoid cultural
resistance.

24. We should focus on reasons not looking
at the symptoms.
 The proposed previous strategies can
make a huge changes for employees’ life
style and reduce health risks in addition
of saving the economical recourses.

26. Hagberg, M., Tornqvist, E.W., Toomingas, A., 2002. Self-reported reduced productivity due to musculoskeletal
symptoms: associations with workplace and individual factors among white-collar computer users. J. Occup.
Rehabil. 12, 151–162.
Alavinia, S.M., Molenaar, D., Burdorf, A., 2009. Productivity loss in the workforce: associations with health,
work demands, and individual characteristics. Am. J. Ind. Med. 52, 49–56.
National Center for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Genetics
Cardiologists Jordanian Society
Joheart issue 54 August 2016
https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/pubs/docs/presentation_508.pdf
http://ergo-plus.com/make-business-case-proactive-ergonomics-process
http://www.slideshare.net/setterlund/preventing-repetitive-motion-injuries-office-
ergonomics?qid=5e839591-732c-488d-b995-5a4efc9b90bc&v=&b=&from_search=8
http://winnipeginmotion.ca/why_get_in_motion.php?cat_id=5